Dental care

Perhaps your pet hasn’t had quite the same appetite as usual. Does it seem like lately they prefer soft food over hard, or perhaps they’re refusing to eat at all? When you get a little closer, do you notice bad breath? Is your pet sick?

It could be that your cat or dog is not well and is experiencing dental problems causing pain. That being said, many animals with dental issues do not show, or even hide, their symptoms. Regardless, just like humans, their teeth can cause pain even if nothing shows on the surface. This means that we have to keep an eye out for their dental health and take appropriate measures.

Dental problems cover a wide range of issues. For example, tartar accumulation is one of the causes of bad breath. Furthermore, other complications crop up when oral problems become an issue: pain, premature tooth loss, even vital internal organ damage, like the heart, caused by bacteria in the mouth.

Procedure at the veterinary clinic

During your next visit, the vet will examine your pet and you can plan a future tooth cleaning. The procure is similar to a cleaning that you get yourself at the dentist. During the cleaning, there could be a need for an X-ray to verify the dental health of your pet. X-rays are as important for animals as they are for humans. Without them we can only see 40 % of the tooth’s surface, and it is impossible to examine the roots to make sure there are no problems. Dental cleaning is performed with the animal under general anesthesia. To maintain the safety of the pet and the veterinary team it is not possible to do it without anesthesia. Also, a procedure without anesthetic will prevent a complete cleaning, therefore there won’t be all the benefits of a quality procedure. Attempting this could cause harmful stress to the animal because it would involve strong restraints which makes no sense.

This will check the red blood cell level as well as the kidney and liver functions. The results may impact the choice of anesthetic protocol chosen. It is also a good time to do the annual check up and take the necessary measure before doing the dental scaling.

During the dental cleaning, scaling is followed by a polishing process that prevents plaque and tartar from sticking to the teeth so easily. We then apply a wide spectrum antiseptic solution that kills most of the bacteria and helps the gums to be healthy again. Your pet will feel so much better, he will have fresh breath and eat normally again. Just as in humans, good oral hygiene is the best way to prevent health issues in your pet. During your visit, the veterinary team will give you directions regarding feeding your animal, brushing their teeth, and rinsing their mouth. Also, don’t hesitate to ask about nutritive treats that are delicious and can contribute to maintaining good dental health in your pet.